SEND LOCAL OFFER

We are very proud of our school as we are fully inclusive and manage the needs of all our children, whether with support or by extending their learning with challenge. We have Dyslexia Friendly Status and consider our learning environments very carefully.

Our SEN policy meets the new requirements for SEND in line with the new SEND Code of Practice effective from 1 September 2014. Our school has co-produced our SEN policy with families, children and young people. It can be viewed on our policy page.

Our SENCO is Mrs Maria McLelland and she can be contacted through the school office.

Further information regarding SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) can be found on the Somerset Choices website https://www.somersetchoices.org.uk

On this page you will be able to read details of our local offer by clicking on any of the questions.

Also see: New Special Educational Needs Code of Practice Leaflet

Children who have a learning difficulty may find it harder to learn than the majority of children of the s​ame age, or they may have ​a disability which prevents or hinders them from taking full advantage of the education provided for other children.

What is a learning difficulty?
Children who have a learning difficulty may find it harder to learn than the majority of children of the s​ame age, or they may have ​a disability which prevents or hinders them from taking full advantage of the education provided for other children.

What might my child’s learning difficulty cause problems with?

• ​Reading, writing or number work
• Expressing themselves or understanding information
• Making friends or relating to adults
• Social or emotional development or mental health
• Personal organisation
• Tasks or activities which depend on sensory or physical skills

The SEN code of practice is the guidance that schools must follow. It states that there are four main areas of special need. These are:

• Cognition and learning
• Emotional and social development and mental health and well being
• Communication and interaction
• Sensory and/or physical needs

How do we identify SEN?

When children have identified SEN/D before they start here, we work with the people who already know them and use the information already available t​o identify what their SEN will be in our school setting and how we can manage it.

If you tell us you think your child has a SEN we will discuss this with you and look into it. We will share what we discover with you and agree what we will do next and what you can do to help your child.

If our staff think that your child has a SEN this may be because they are not making the same progress as other children. For example, they may not be able to follow instructions or answer questions. We will observe them, assess their   understanding of what we are doing in school and sue tests to find out what is causing the difficulty. Should we require further help, we will contact the SEN/D Support Services Team from the Local Authority.

How do we involve children and their parent /carers in identifying Special Educational Needs and planning to meet them?

We are a child and family centred school, so you will be involved in all decision making about your child’s support.

When we assess SEN we discuss it with you to determine whether your child’s understanding and behaviour are the same at school and home. We take this into account and work with you so that we are all helping your child in the same way to make progress.

We write and review SEN Support Plans termly for children who are identified with SEN, with appropriate goals and with children and parent carers.

How do we involve children and their parent carers in identifying Special Educational Needs and planning to meet them?

How do we adapt the curriculum so that we meet SEN?

All our staff are trained to make lessons easier or more challenging so that every child is able to learn at their own pace and in their own way. We will make or provide any additional resources required.

We use additional materials/ interventions so that we have something at the right level for children with SEND. We use Rapid Readers, Code X, Clicker 6 for reading;  Letters and Sounds, Rapid Writers, Hornet and Toe by Toe for writing; Numicon and Wave 3 materials for maths; Talking Partners for communication and social; small group SEAL work for personal and  social work.

How do we modify teaching approaches?

All our staff are trained so that we are able to adapt to a range of SEND – specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia and emotional and social difficulties.

We are a dyslexia friendly school.

When teaching we use different approaches to learning: these are visual, aural and kinaesthetic methods.

Staff receive training in delivering Clicker 6, Integrated Literacy Intervention, Talking Partners, Code X and the Rapid programmes.

How do we assess pupil progress towards the targeted outcomes and how do we review this progress?

We use P scales to assess progress in smaller steps and at a slower pace than the National Curriculum.

We use our staff Professional Development Meetings to moderate writing termly in both classes to check that our judgements are correct.

We track our children in Reading, Writing, Maths, Science and RE to check that progress is good.

We constantly assess in lessons to check how well a child understands.

At the end of each term, teachers and the Head teacher meet to assess attainment and progress in a Pupil Progress Meeting.

For children at SA+ (Element 2), parents are invited to review their child’s progress annually as well as having update meetings with teachers every term.

For children at SA (Element 1), parents discuss their child’s progress at the termly meeting with teachers.

Children at Element 3, statement, have a review each term with parents.

What equipment or resources do we use to give extra support?